Safety Deposit: Red River Bank Donates Bus to Alexandria Police

Alexandria, LA (February 9, 2012) - Red River Bank of Alexandria donated a mobile banking
center to the city Police Department to use as a new
mobile emergency operations center.

The gift was announced Wednesday.

Blake Chatelain, president of Red River Bank, said the
bank purchased a new mobile unit several months ago
to replace its original mobile banking center. The bank
looked into selling the older mobile center, which first was
purchased in 2003, before deciding to donate it to the
Police Department.

"We are so appreciative for what our Police Department
and our mayor does to make this a great place to live,"
Chatelain said.

Alexandria Mayor Jacques M. Roy and Alexandria Police
Chief Loren M. Lampert both expressed their appreciation
to Chatelain and Red River Bank for the donation of a
needed asset.

"The city was in great need of this," Roy said. "It's an
important item that will help the men and women in the
field."

Once the new operations center is converted, Roy said,
it will be comparable to the mobile command center
owned by the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office and a great
improvement over the operations center currently used
by the Police Department.

"The next time you see it, it may not look exactly the
same and may not have an ATM in it," Lampert joked.

The Police Department, however, can use some of the
existing elements of the unit. The safe could be used by
police officials to store evidence. The handicap entrance
could be used to place the department's robot into the
field during dangerous situations.

Not only will the emergency operations center be
used during "critical events," Lampert said, it also will be
used for community festivals and events. It will feature
all of the Police Department's radio and computer
communications, as well as tactical planning abilities.

Lampert said the department has a SWAT vehicle, but it
has never had a true mobile command center.

He credited Sgt. Bruce Fairbanks, commander of the
police Intelligence Division, for learning about the vehicle
and pursuing it for the department.

Police will begin retrofitting the bus with available
department resources, Lampert said, but it will take time
and money to get it fully equipped. The chief said the
department has applied for several U.S. Department of
Homeland Security grants in order to purchase more
equipment for the operations center.